Forest of Mist
by Arata Amaya
Summary: A Nukenin from Kirigakure no Sato, young Hanatamaru Ririku, age 13. Most powerful runaways, has met up with a certin group of Konohagakure. Follow this Konichi's life through Konohagakure and the drama that follows her.Yay! I've finally posted the first p


_Looking back at me I see  
That I never really got it right  
I never stopped to think of you  
I'm always wrapped up in  
Things I cannot win  
You are the antidote that gets me by  
Something strong  
Like a drug that gets me high_

What I really meant to say  
Is I'm sorry for the way I am  
I never meant to be so cold to you

And I'm sorry about all the lies  
Maybe in a different light  
You could see me stand on my own again  
Cause now i can see  
You were the antidote that got me by  
Something strong like a drug that got me high  
I never meant to be so cold

I never really wanted you to see  
The screwed up side of me that I keep  
Locked inside of me so deep  
It always seems to get to me  
I never really wanted you to go  
So many things you should have known  
I guess for me there's just no hope  
I never meant to be so cold

Chapter One

The moon shinned down on the calm, resting forest. Green eyes pierced the night like a lonely cat. The leaves danced on the breeze that lightly made several of the plants shiver. The green eyed traveler took in a deep breath of the brisk night air and began on a walk. Although half limping, no fallen leafs crunched under the travelers feet. With another inhale of air, the wanderer noticed a particular smell.

_Smoke_, they thought.

The traveler speeded up and landed behind a row of bushes with less than intended results. The traveler crawled their way out of the bushes and gave and unsatisfied huff. Standing up the befuddled traveler noticed that they had accidentally crawled out on the opposite side of the now evil bushes. The traveler looked around and stopped a glowing fire.

The amber campfire showed the appearance of the traveling leaf mess. A pale faced young girl with black hair a little while passed her shoulders. Her green eyes surrounded by long, rich, black eye lashes. A strapless, midriff bearing, black shirt fell perfectly on her body. Three inches of fish net was attached to the top of her shirt. She wore black capries and normal black ninja bouts. Her weapons pouches were tied to both of her lower thighs. Around her stomach is white wrap.

Pulling a small bit of her black hair over her shoulder, the girl crouched down to the floor and observed the flames. She watched them dance in the nights wind. The flames glowing light gave her hair a purple glow. She looked around and picked up a log from its pile of fellow collected logs. She gazed at the beauty of flame for another moment, and then straightened up.

_Ririku, you idiot! It's a fire! That means there are travelers near by. I hope they aren't fellow ninja_, she thought slapping herself on the forehead.

The now bender specified, name given, traveler glided her hand down her face and cleared a space between her fingers to see past the flames. Ririku stopped four bed rolls in a line just a little bit past the fire. A curious look was painted across Ririku's tired face. She stood up and tip toed over to the four resting humans. She looked at on sleeping body. Inhaling and exhaling so calmly. Ririku crouched down and looked at them. A boy. With wonderful black hair that was shining in the fire light. He looked so gentle and beautiful while he rested. Ririku couldn't control her hand. It crept in the air over to the boy's hair. She took a small bit of his hair and moved her fingers around. Surprised at how rich and clean it was, Ririku let go. She ran her thin fingers through his black hair.

_Oh my god! He's beautiful_, she thought with a sigh.

She moved her hand down to his forehead. She examined his ninja headband and wondered why one would sleep with it on. She moved her fingers down to the tip of the boy's nose. _Nice nose_, she thought remembering her little nose fetish. She giggled quietly and moved her fingers toward his lips. A most daring move, but Ririku was brave enough to do it. As her fingers were in mid air, she heard a cough. Ririku looked up to the boy's eyes, but they were still closed and he was still soundly asleep. Suddenly, a freighting revolution hit her.

_Oh Crap! There were three more bed rolls! _

Ririku looked up, past two more bed rolls and jumped in her skin at what she saw. A man was sitting upright. He had a black cloth of his nose and mouth. He had sliver hair that was spiked to the left. Over his right eye was a Konohagakure ninja headband. Ririku gulped and she felt her stomach turn inside her.

"Well, well, well," said the man, with his left eye closed. "If it isn't a Kirigakure ninja."

Ririku looked at the man with a deep fear. He knew. He could see her headband that was tied around her neck. Being that she was busted by a man, in Ririku's world she believed he would think one of two things. One: She liked to boy she was kneeling by. Or two: She was sent to kill him. Ririku jumped away from the boy and pulled out a kunai knife.

_It's a guy_, she thought, _he is going to think I'm here to kill the boy. _

"Uh-oh," said the sliver haired man.

"What? You don't want to kill a child?" asked Ririku freshly.

"No. That's not it," the man spoke before he disappeared.

Shocked, Ririku kept her guard up. She scoped the area with her green eyes. A breeze moved and the fire flickered. Ririku averted her attention toward the flames. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her wrist. Angered that she didn't see threw the deception, Ririku turned and slashed without looking.

"Um...ouch," said an unfamiliar voice.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me. You just cut attacked me. I should be 'huh'ing you," said the person unnerved.

"Ha! Nicely done Kirigakure ninja!" called a voice from shadows.

Ririku jumped back to the fire and saw the sliver haired man. He walked past Ririku into the shadows in front of her. A few seconds later the man came back holding someone's wrist. He shoved the person toward Ririku.

"Well, you see him now?" asked the sliver haired man.

Ririku looked closely and she bit a small bit of her lower lip when she relished who it was. _Oh shit!_ she though, i_t's the boy I was looking at before_. The boy looked quiet annoyed at Ririku for her jumpy-ness. Ririku gulped and looked at the ground. She placed her kunai back into her pouch. She looked up at the boy and her green eyes stood out in the shadows.

"Oh. Are you going to trust us now?" asked the silver haired man.

Ririku looked at the man and than the boy. She nodded and sighed.

"Oh good," said the boy. Ririku knew he was being sarcastic and she wanted to hit him on the top of the head.

"Well," began the silver haired man, "shall we get to know one another?"

Ririku and the boy shrugged. The silver haired man pointed to the logs around the fire. As Ririku sat, she heard a load yawn from behind. She turned around to see another boy sitting up. She had blond spiky hair and he had six lines on his face. Three on each side, like whiskers.

"Oh. It's Naruto," said the silver haired man.

"'Fish cake'?" asked Ririku, confused at why the man had called the boy a fish cake.

The silver haired man laughed and the black haired boy chuckled. While the blond, 'fish cake' looked pissed.

"Yes. That is Uzumaki Naruto," said the silver haired man as Ririku waved when Naruto stood up. "And this," said the man pointing to the boy with black her, "is Uchiha Sasuke." Ririku and Sasuke bowed to each other.

"I'm Hanatamaru Ririku," spoke Ririku.

"Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi," said the silver haired man.

Ririku looked back over to Sasuke and they both suffered from a sudden moment of embossment. Sasuke had been looking at Ririku and when she turned he was busted. Naruto on the other hand, was waving his hand annoyingly in front of Ririku's face to get her to come back to Earth. The blushing wore off and Ririku snagged Naruto's hand out of the air.

"Gah!" Naruto gasped, "Hey!"

Ririku dropped his hand. "Sorry," she said.

"Short impulse?" asked Naruto rubbing his hand.

"And you're any different?" Sasuke said coolly.

The four sat down on four different logs. Sasuke and Ririku sat across from each other and the flames of the fire dance in Sasuke's eyes.

"So..." said Kakashi. "What is a thirteen year old ninja doing out her alone?"

Ririku gave a small shudder. Here eyes saddened as her smile fell. "That's a story," she said.

"We have all night," said Kakashi.

"Do I have to-" began Naruto.

A small log flew and hit Naruto on the head.

"Ow! Hey Sasuke!" yelled Naruto.

"Why don't you shut up and listen for once?" asked Sasuke to Naruto.

Ririku smiled at Sasuke and he smirked back. Pleased that one of them was starting to look out for her. Ririku took a deep breath in.

"Okay," she said, "To my village I'm a..." Ririku was afraid that her ninja rank would concern them, but luckily, she was interrupted.

"Kakashi-sensei?" asked a girl's voice.

Ririku looked over her shoulder. A girl with short pink hair and green eyes was awakened by the chatter. She walked over and looked closely at Ririku. Ririku felt weird but noticed why the girl was staring. As if at the same time, the two girls said, "You look like me!" The two stared at each other then chuckled.

"Hi. I'm Hanatamaru Ririku," smiled Ririku

"Hi! I'm Haruno Sakura!"

"Hello," Ririku said as Sakura sat next to Sasuke. Sasuke rolled his eyes but put up with the forceful Sakura.

"Anyway," said Sasuke.

"Oh! Right!" Ririku once again began her story. "In my village, by now, I must be known as a Nukenin, or missing ninja."

Sakura and the slowly falling back asleep Naruto shuddered.

"Why?" asked Sakura.

"Because...I ran from my sensei," said Ririku.

"Killing so much, was straining your psyche?" asked Sasuke.

Ririku looked at him. "Yes," she answered.

_I'm so happy he understands...What happened to him? _

"Okay...and?" Naruto said impatiently.

"I found you and then Hatake-sensei saw me and I thought he was going to attack me so I was on my guard."

Naruto looked at Ririku for a minute than nodded.

_Wow! If he couldn't get that_, she thought.

"Hm...okay," said Kakashi.

"'Hm, okay' what?" Sakura asked puzzled.

"She can come with us," Kakashi 'smiled'.

"Nani?!" questioned the four teenagers at, strangely, the same time.

"I don't believe mist would stoop so low as to send a thirteen year old girl to spy on us. Besides, if this was a copy jutsu, how is her arm bleeding?" asked Kakashi pointed to Ririku's right arm.

_I'm bleeding?_ Ririku looked at her arm and there was an open cut across it, and blood was slowly rolling down her arm. _Ha! Opps!_

"Good point," said Sasuke looking past the fire to Ririku's open wound.

"Sasuke's the best at noticing clones, so if he's okay with it, I am," Sakura sighed. (Inner Sakura: _No way! She'll get in between me and Sasuke!_)

"Hmm," Naruto sat and thought for a moment then said, "Fine."

"Good. Now, how about you, Ririku?" Kakashi asked looking to Ririku.

Ririku looked at Kakashi for a minute. If she stayed she'd make friends, and possibly be happy for once. If she didn't she'd most likely starve to death. She looked to Naruto, then Sakura, followed by Sasuke. Naruto was dosing off again and Ririku looked over to Kakashi. "O-okay," she said unsure of whether this was a good idea.

"Alright. We'll head for Konohagakure in the morning," said Kakashi standing and the all of the new cell 7 nodded.


End file.
